A distended abdomen, typical of the later months of pregnancy, distorts a woman's posture, putting a strain on her back and upon her abdominal muscles. In the case of pregnancy, the weight of the fetus adds to the problem:- women in their third trimester of pregnancy typically suffer from strained backs and abdominal muscles, together with varicose veins caused by the abnormal pressure on the vascular system. These problems often cause fatigue, and in many cases cause considerable discomfort and even pain.
Over the last 120 years, a number of abdominal supports have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 284,831 dated Sep. 11, 1883 discloses a simple sling type of support, with a broad band passing under and over the lower part of the abdomen, supported from shoulder straps. However, the design incorporates very little adjustment:-the only adjustment is the length of each shoulder strap, at a point along the length of the strap above the front of the abdomen. This type of adjustment offers little scope for the very wide range of body sizes and shapes which need to be accommodated, so that a range of different sizes of support would have to be manufactured. Further, the adjustment is such that it tends to pull the abdominal sling upwards over the abdomen:-this does not give optimum support to the abdomen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,563 dated Sep. 20, 1966 discloses a design very similar to that of No. U.S. Pat. No. 284,831, but with the addition of a belt around the wearer's back, presumably to improve support. However, the straps are adjusted in a very similar position to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 284,831, with much the same disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,715 dated Feb. 1, 1977 also discloses a design generally similar to U.S. Pat. No. 284,831 but with the only adjustment located under each armpit. In fact, the design offers minimal adjustment and appears to rely almost entirely on the elasticity of the material used for providing adequate support.
A number of prior proposals show abdominal supports incorporated into garments:—U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,849 dated Nov. 23, 1971, U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,372 dated Dec. 6, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,795 dated Jun. 6, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,318 dated May 24, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,317 dated Apr. 18, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,192 dated Aug. 28, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,059 dated Jul. 27, 1999. In all these patents, a support is incorporated into a girdle (often including a bra) or panty or even incorporated into a bodysuit. The more comprehensive the support, the more complex the adjustments required to make it fit comfortably, and the hotter it is to wear. Since a woman's body generates a great deal of surplus heat during the later months of pregnancy, a support which makes the wearer even hotter is unlikely to prove an advantage, no matter how much support it offers. Further, the garment type of support in most cases would need to be made in a very large range of sizes, to fit all body sizes and types; this very greatly increases the cost of the support.